Disclaimer and limitation of liability
This web site and the information it contains is provided as a public service by the U.S. Coast Guard. This system is monitored to ensure proper operation, to verify the functioning of applicable security features, and for other like purposes. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring. Unauthorized attempts to modify any information stored on this system, to defeat or circumvent security features, or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.
Restriction of liability
U.S. Coast Guard make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this web site and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this web site. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to the contents of this web site or its hyperlinks to other Internet resources. Reference in this web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ownership
Information presented on this web site in the non-logged in domain is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. However, all information submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard via this site shall be deemed and remain the property of the U.S. Coast Guard, except those submissions made under separate legal contract. The U.S. Coast Guard shall be free to use, for any purpose, any ideas, concepts, or techniques contained in information provided to the U.S. Coast Guard through this site.
We collect no personal information about you when you visit our website unless you choose to provide this information to us. However, we collect and store certain information automatically. Here is how we handle information about your visit to our website.
What We Collect and Store Automatically
If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the website, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store only the following information about your visit:
- The Internet domain (for example, “xcompany.com” if you use a private Internet access account, or “yourschool.edu” if you connect from a university’s domain) and IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our website;
- The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
- The date and time you access our site;
- The pages you visit; and
- If you linked to our website from another website, the address of that website.
- We use the information we collect to count the number and type of visitors to the different pages on our site, and to help us make our site more useful to visitors like you.
If You Send Us E-mail
You may choose to provide us with personal information, as in e-mail with a comment or question. We use the information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. Sometimes we forward your e-mail to other government employees who may be better able to help you. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, we do not share our e-mail with any other outside organizations.
Cookies
“Cookies” are small bits of text that are either used for the duration of a session (“session cookies”), or saved on a user’s hard drive in order to identify that user, or information about that user, the next time the user logs on to a Web site (“persistent cookies”). This Web site does not use persistent cookies or any other persistent tracking technology. One or more of our component sites may use session cookies to provide streamlined navigation. These session cookies are deleted from the component’s server after your session ends and information from them is not collected or saved.
Information Protection
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. If such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act or other law.
Linking Policy
United States Coast Guard links to many websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. United States Coast Guard provides these links as a service to our users. When users link to an outside website, they are leaving the United States Coast Guard site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website(s).
Prohibitions
United States Coast Guard will not link to any website that exhibits hate, bias or discrimination. Furthermore, we reserve the right to deny or remove any link that contains misleading information or unsubstantiated claims, or is determined to be in conflict with United States Coast Guard’s mission or policies.
Disclaimer of Endorsement
The information posted on the United States Coast Guard website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. United States Coast Guard provides these links and pointers solely for our users’ information and convenience. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving the United States Coast Guard site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website.
- The United States Coast Guard does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked website.
- The United States Coast Guard does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
- The United States Coast Guard does not and cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.
- The United States Coast Guard is not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.
- The United States Coast Guard does not guarantee that outside websites comply with the requirements of Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.
Retention of Information
We destroy the information we collect when the purpose for which it was provided has been fulfilled unless we are required to keep it longer by statute or official policy. Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed according to the principles of the Federal Records Act and the regulations and records schedules approved by the National Archives and Records Administration and in some cases information submitted to us may become an agency record and therefore might be subject to a Freedom of Information Act request.
Notice of Monitoring
You are entering an Official United States Government System, which may be used only for authorized purposes. The Government may monitor and audit usage of this system, and all persons are hereby notified that use of this system constitutes consent to such monitoring and auditing. Unauthorized attempts to upload information and/or change information on these web sites are strictly prohibited and are subject to prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and 18 U.S.C. §§1001 and 1030.